Guggenheim OKs Labor Monitor in Abu Dhabi, Boycott’s Still On

Earlier this year, 130 artists and curators called for a boycott against Guggenheim Abu Dhabi over their alleged abuses of migrant construction workers. The Gugg called the claim “an exact opposite of the truth,” but have budged and recently announced their support for the appointment of a work site monitor. Eh, not good enough.

The boycott’s still on. The coalition argues that the monitor isn’t not entirely impartial:

Although we are encouraged by the promise that PwC will conduct “surprise site visits” as well as release comprehensive reports to the public on its audits, we await to hear more details of the monitoring programs that PwC will put in place. We also await confirmation that PwC will consult with one of the HRW recommended monitors as soon as possible to help it define a rigorous and transparent monitoring program.

This conflict isn’t over, but neither is “a cycle of abuse that leaves migrant workers deeply indebted, poorly paid, and unable to defend their rights or even quit their jobs,” according to the advocacy group.